AUGUST 23–31, 2005

Gulf Coast Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

August 23–31, 2005. Gulf Coast Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

For 30 days beginning August 28, 2005, two of the deadliest hurricanes in history roared out of the Bahamas, one after the other, to ravage the lives, possessions and dreams of millions of Americans living along the Gulf of Mexico from Central Florida to Texas. The winds and floods of first Katrina and then Rita washed over whole communities that were never seen again. More than 1,000 Volunteer Ministers from around the world were among the first rescuers to assist the shocked, distraught people of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. The yellow shirts brought aid and smiles to dog-tired rescue workers and generated relief and hope for thousands of shattered lives, providing food, water and temporary shelter for one of the largest mass evacuations in U.S. history.